Apparatus for treating wooden wheels.



J. J.- LIPE. D APPARATUS FOR TREATING WOODEN WHEELS APPLICATION FILEDAPR. 22,1909. 941,683.

Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

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JOHN JACOB LIFE, OF WITT, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING WOODEN WHEELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

Application filed April 22, 1909. Serial No. 491,584.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN JACOB LIFE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Witt, in the county of Montgomery and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus forTreating Wooden Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to apparatus for treating wooden wheels, toprevent, or to overcome the effect of, shrinkage, without the necessityof cutting and shortening the.

tires, wedging the spokes, or resorting to any of the analogous modes oftreatment I and the wheel being allowed to remain therein until thepores and interstices of the wood are charged therewith. The wheel maybe preliminarily immersed in water, and retained therein for a longer orshorter time, if desired, or the wheel in its dry state may be directlyplaced in the oil in the first in-l stance. Experience, however, hasdemonstrated that there is advantage in the preliminary treatment withwater.

As is well known, wooden wheels, particu-f larly in dry climates, or inseasons of prolonged periods of dry weather, shrink so that the spokesbecome loose in the hubs and in the fellies, and the fellies draw awayfrom the tires. If this condition be permitted to obtain for anyconsiderable time, the spokes and their sockets in the hubs and fellieswear away, so that it is impossible thereafter to make the wheel as firmand rigid as when originally made. Temporary tightening may be effectedby wetting the wheels, and causing the wood to swell, but this is amakeshift at best, and after being repeated a few times loses in greatmeasure its eflicacy. A more effective plan is to out and shorten thetires, but this treatment is objectionable not only because of the costand the time involved, but, more especially, because upon the subsequentswelling of the wheels in damp weather, or through passage of the wheelsthrough water, the spokes are liable to spring out of shape, and thewheel to be made untrue. If, on the other hand, the wheel be caused toswell to its normal proportions, and to fill the tire as when originallymade, and if the filling material be of such character as will remainpermanently in the pores of the wood and unaffected by Weatherconditions, the life of the wheel may be greatly prolonged, and thewheel maintained in perfect condition at very slight expense.

To facilitate such treatment of the wheels, I construct my apparatus asshown in the drawings, in which A indicates a shallow tank or vessel,which may conveniently be made either of cast or of sheet metal, andwhich is formed with a central pocket or well a, the main tank or vesselbeing of a diameter somewhat more than sufficient to receive the largestwheel likely to require treatment, and the well or pocket being of adepth and diameter to receive the hub of the wheel and leave an annularspace about it. This vessel may be supported in any convenient manner,either on permanently attached legs or temporary supports, but ispreferably placed upon a structure B of brick or masonry, having a topplate C to cover such portions of the structure B as are not covered bythe bottom of tank or vessel A. The plate C and the bottom of the tankor vessel A may be supported by cross bars 6, if deemed expedient, andin order that the end of the hub may not be subjected to undue heat,'aplate 0 is advisably raised slightly above the bottom of the well orpocket a, as shown in Fig. 2.

Structure B is provided with a fire space, which will be varied inconstruction accord ing to the nature of the fuel to be used. Forpurposes of illustration only, I have represented the structure B asprovided with a series of grate bars D, having a fire-door E above thegrate bars, and an ash-door F be low the same, though, of course, aliquid or vapor fuel burner, gas burner, or in fact any common form ofheater may be used if de sired. A smoke pipe G is provided to carry ofithe smoke and products of combustion. The plate 0, or if this be notused the bottom of the well or pocket a, is in such relation to thebottom of tank A that a wheel placed within the tank, and having its hubintroduced into the well or pocket a, will have the end of its hubsupported by the plate 0 or the bottom of well or pocket a, as the casemay be, while the felly and tire will be held somewhat above the bottomof tank A, as indicated in Fig. 2. Cover plates H, H,

- may be provided, if deemed desirable, with a view to holding withinthe tank A the heat imparted to the oil, or other charging mixture withwhich the said tank is to be supplied in practice. Obviously the formand dimensions of the structure may vary widely, as also the materialsof which it is constructed. The material requirements are that thereshall be a tank or vessel into which the wheel may be bodily introduced,and in which it may be completely immersed in oil or other fillingagent, but held out of contact with the tank or vessel and that means heprovided whereby the oil in said tank may be heated.

The apparatus being constructed as above set forth, the vessel A isfilled to a suitable level with any appropriate charging agent ormixture, linseed oil being, in my judgment, the most satisfactory. Theoil or other filling agent is then heated to a suitable temperature, andthe wheel to be treated is immersed bodily therein, and is subjected tothe action of the heated oil for a period varying usually from fifteento twenty minutes, according to the condition of the wheel, thetemperature of the oil, or the character of the filling agent, if otherthan oil be used. As before stated, it is found advantageous first tosubject the wheel to the action of water, and this may be done byplacing it in any convenient tank or receptacle, or subjecting it to astream of water from a hose, or in like manner. The treatment may alsobe adopted for new wheels either before or after placing the tiresthereon, but its special purpose is for the restoration of wheels which,having been for a time in use, have become loose through shrinkage.

With an apparatus such as here described, a large number of wheels maybe treated in an ordinary working day, and the apparatus may, from itsnature, be placed out of doors, or in spaces unavailable for other use,or in other words, without occupying floor space in a shop which is toovaluable to justify such use.

The well or pocket a, though desirable, is not essential, but thequantity of oil necessary for the immersion of a wheel is materiallylessened by such provision, and the body of the wheel is brought nearerto the bottom of the tank, and consequently to the heat of the fire.

Where, as in the present construction, a

well or depression is formed for the hub of the wheel, such depressedportion is subjected to a more intense .heat than the main bottom of thetank or receptacle, since not only its bottom but its sides are exposedto the flames, and the quantity of oil or filler contained in suchdepression is relatively small. It is therefore important that the endof the hub be held up out of contact with the bottom of such well ordepression, and hence the raised plate 0 is of importance. By providingcover plates the heat is better retained or confined within the tank,and the requisite temperature and proper treatment of the wheel are moreprom )tly and certainly accomplished. Loss of filler through evaporationis likewise lessened.

Vhile as above pointed out, the form of heater may vary, it isnevertheless important that some permanent heating apparatus constitutea part of the structure, and that through suitable draft and check doorsor dampers, or like means of control, provision be made for nicelyregulating and main taining the temperature of the oil or filler. Thestructure is here illustrated and described as self-contained andcomplete, and is not dependent on any external boiler or heatingapparatus, as would be the case were a steam or water acketed tank orvessel employed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for treating wheels, a tank or vessel having a wellor pocket a in the central portion of its bottom, said well beingprovided with a raised support 0 at such elevation as shall cause thefelly and spokes of the wheel to be raised somewhat above the bottom ofthe tank, and the end of the hub to be held away from the bottom of thewell or pocket; and a base or support for said tank, containing a firechamber and grate. p

2. The herein described apparatus for treating wheels, comprising tankor vessel A provided with well or pocket at and with raised plate 0 insaid well; base B provided with a fire chamber, a grate D, and doors Eand F above and below the grate; a stack or chimney G; and cover platesH for the tank or vessel.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN JACOB LIFE.

Vitnesses:

Gno. R. Coornn, IoNE GANNow.

